Roundup: CrossFit Locations Near Boston

The popular fitness movement has locations all over the city. Here's where to go.

If you prefer your gym to look like a spa, then CrossFit might not be for you. If you don’t mind getting dirty, and working out until you are on the floor in a ball of sweat, then you¬†found¬†the right place. Many CrossFit “boxes” look like warehouses and garages (some actually are). Many won’t have air conditioning and there’s usually grime and sweat on the floor. (CrossFit Back Bay devotees, your box is the exception, not the rule.)

You’ll do push-ups in the parking lot, burpees on concrete, and if your hands aren’t torn up from kipping pull-ups then you haven’t earned your badge of honor yet. In the past, women stayed away from Olympic lifting due to the fear of becoming bulky and looking like a bodybuilder. But new research shows that women should lift weights.

In 2010, Canton-based Reebok signed an extensive 10-year deal with CrossFit.¬†In 2011, Forbes¬†called¬†CrossFit “one of the fastest growing sports in America.” ESPN even broadcasts¬†the CrossFit Games.¬†But CrossFit is not without controversy. Some say that amateurs lifting heavy weights is not safe and too harsh on the body. But, the critics are clearly outnumbered¬†because¬†CrossFit started its ascent into the mainstream back in 2010 and is now not only popular¬†with bodybuilders, elite¬†athletes, military, police, and firemen (and women), but it’s also a hit with seniors, suburbanites, and even teens.